Toy Block with Slot Tracks Formed Thereon and Toy Block Set Formed by the Same

ABSTRACT

A toy block with slot tracks formed thereon takes the form of a hexahedron with six track surfaces. A slot is formed on each of at least one of the track surfaces and has multiple connection ends extending and connecting to different edges of the track surface. Each toy block can at most include six different slots to attain high degree of diversity and variety for playing the toy block. When multiple ones of the toy blocks are assembled, users just need to get the multiple toy blocks to approach each other and the multiple toy blocks can be quickly assembled into a toy block set with high degree of variation and entertaining effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a slot car racing track and, moreparticularly, to a toy block with slot tracks formed thereon for toyvehicles to be driven thereon through the slot tracks.

2. Description of the Related Art

A slot car racing tack set is a toy designed for children to play withand usually has a rectangular or round plastic slot track for toy carsto be placed and racing thereon, thereby simulating actual racingconditions.

Earlier slot car racing tracks are integrally formed and the integrallyformed tracks in turn provide an immutable racing track condition. Underthe circumstance, children easily feel bored with the same racingcondition over and over again, and the slot car racing tracks end upbeing thrown aside when children run out of their interest and patience.To address the foregoing monotonous issue, detachable racing tracks havebeen evolved from the earlier slot car racing tracks to divide theintegrally formed track into many small segments of detachable trackswith diversified forms, such as straight-line, curved and bifurcatedsegments and the like, significantly making the slot car racing moreentertaining.

However, the detachable tracks have the following two drawbacks.

Firstly, as the detachable tracks are connected by connection portionsformed at two adjacent end portions of two detachable tracks to beconnected and those connection portions engage each other in a wayresembling the pieces assembled in a jigsaw puzzle, the unsmoothengagement of the connection portions oftentimes occurs during assemblyand disassembly as a result of not fully matching shapes for engagement.

Secondly, each detachable track has its own unique shape correspondingto only one type of track condition. Should no additional track befurther added, degree of diversification in track setup turns out to bemonotonous and limited accordingly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to provide a toy block withslot tracks formed thereon and a toy block set formed by the toy blocks,which provide speedy and convenient assembly or disassembly.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the toy block takes the form of ahexahedron and includes a body, six track surfaces, at least one slot,and at least one coupling member.

The body has six surfaces.

The six track surfaces are formed on the six surfaces of the body andeach track surface has multiple edges.

The at least one slot are respectively formed on at least one of the sixtrack surfaces, and each slot has multiple connection ends respectivelyextending and connecting to different edges of the track surface withthe slot thereon.

The at least one coupling member is mounted inside the body, and each ofthe at least one coupling member is a magnet.

To achieve the foregoing objective, a toy block set includes multipletoy blocks and is formed by the multiple toy blocks.

The present invention is advantageous in the multiple different slotsformed on the multiple track surfaces of the toy block. In contrast toconventional technique, diversification of the slot track arrangementcan be significantly increased upon assembly of the toy blocks. Besides,as the toy blocks just need to approach each other to complete assemblyof the toy blocks, high degree of operational convenience can be alsoattained.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy block in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the toy blockin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the toy blockin FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a first embodiment of a toy block set inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a toy block setin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a toy car in accordance with the presentinvention; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of the toy car in FIG. 6 pairing up with the toyblock in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, a toy block takes the form of ahexahedron, and as illustrated, the toy block specifically takes theform of a cube or a trapezoidal body. However, shapes of the toy blockmay include but are not limited to the foregoing shapes.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy block has a body 10 and sixtrack surfaces 11 formed on six surfaces of the body 10, and each of atleast one of the track surfaces 11 has a slot 12 formed on the tracksurface 11. In the present embodiment, each of the six track surfaces 11has the slot formed thereon. However, it is not imperative that eachtrack surface 11 has a slot 12 formed thereon.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, each slot 12 includes multipleconnection ends 13 extending to different edges of the track surface 11on which the slot 12 is located. The different edges include but are notlimited to opposite edges of the track surface 11. The slot 12 may bestraight, curved, and bifurcated with at least two prongs. For example,the slot 12 may take an arced or a cross-shaped form. Since theconnection ends 13 on the same track surface 11 are respectivelyconnected with different edges of the track surface 11, it is the slot12 on the track surface 11 that connects and communicates with theconnection ends 13.

With reference to FIG. 1, each connection end 13 of the slot 12 on acorresponding track surface 11 extends to and is connected with a centerof a corresponding edge of the corresponding track surface 11. However,connecting each connection end 13 with a center of the correspondingedge of the corresponding track surface 11 is not a necessity.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the toy block further includes atleast one coupling member 20 mounted inside the body 10. In the presentembodiment, each of the at least one coupling member 20 is a magnet.However, each of the at least one coupling member 20 may be formed ofother materials.

As far as the internal structure of the toy block to which the at leastone coupling member 20 is coupled is concerned, the body 10 may bedivided into the following two types.

With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first type the body 10is hollow internally and the at least one coupling member 20 includeseight coupling members 20. The body 10 has eight voids 14 formed insidean inner wall of the body 10 and being respectively located at eightinner corners of the body 10. The eight coupling members 20 are securelymounted inside the respective voids 14.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, in the second type the body 10 is solidand the at least one coupling member 20 includes one coupling member 20.The single one coupling member 20 is centrally mounted inside the body10. The body 10 is fully solid except an empty portion therein forreceiving the coupling member 20.

With reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a toy block set in accordance withthe present invention includes multiple toy blocks 10A as mentionedearlier. When approaching each other, the multiple toy blocks 10A can bemutually connected and coupled to each other through the at least onecoupling member 20 inside the body 10, 10A of each toy block. After themultiple toy blocks are connected with each other, the slots 12, 12A onthe upward track surfaces 11 of the toy blocks can be interconnected tocommunicate with each other so as to form a longer and/or morecomplicated slot track.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, during operation of the toy block set, atoy car 94 can be further paired up with the toy block set for a jointoperation. The toy car 91 has a roller 92 rotatably mounted on a bottomof the toy car 91. The roller 92 of the toy car 91 can be placed and isslidably movable in the slots 12 on the upward track surfaces 11 of thetoy block set, such that the toy car 91 can be moved along paths formedby the interconnected slots 12 on the upward track surfaces 11 of thetoy block set.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, in sum, as having six track surfaces11, the body 10 of each toy block can have at most six slots 12 withdifferent shapes on the six track surfaces 11. By virtue of the shapevariations of the slots 12, high degree of diversity and variety of theslot track formed by slots 12 of the toy blocks assembled by users canbe realized. Moreover, when toy blocks with different shapes, forexample, cubic and trapezoidal toy blocks 10, are assembled together,not only can the formed slot track be flexible in shape arrangement, butalso an effect of uneven ground condition can be created. Accordingly,the present invention has high degree of diversification attributable tovariations in slot track arrangement and ground condition.

Additionally, because the connection ends 13 of the toy blocks are notnecessarily connected to the centers of the edges of the correspondingtrack surfaces 11, as long as the connection ends 13 of the multiple toyblocks to be assembled can be connected to communicate with each other,the multiple toy blocks can be assembled together in a correct manner.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the toy blocks can be assembledtogether by using the at least one coupling member 20 thereof. Becauseeach of the at least one coupling member 20 is a magnet, whenapproaching each other, the toy blocks can be attracted to each other byway of magnetic attraction. Therefore, assembly and disassembly of thetoy blocks can be very speedy and convenient.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structure and function of the invention, thedisclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail,especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts withinthe principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by thebroad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy block taking the form of a hexahedron andcomprising: a body having six surfaces; six track surfaces formed on thesix surfaces of the body, each track surface having multiple edges; atleast one slot respectively formed on at least one of the six tracksurfaces, each slot having multiple connection ends respectivelyextending and connecting to different edges of the track surface withthe slot thereon; and at least one coupling member mounted inside thebody, each of the at least one coupling member being a magnet.
 2. Thetoy block as claimed in claim 1, wherein each connection end of each ofthe at least one slot on a corresponding track surface extends to and isconnected with a center of a corresponding edge of the correspondingtrack surface.
 3. The toy block as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bodyis hollow internally, and the at least one coupling member compriseseight coupling members mounted inside the body and respectively locatedat eight inner corners of the body.
 4. The toy block as claimed in claim2, wherein the body is hollow internally, and the at least one couplingmember comprises eight coupling members mounted inside the body andrespectively located at eight inner corners of the body.
 5. The toyblock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body is solid, and the at leastone coupling member comprises one coupling member centrally mountedinside the body.
 6. The toy block as claimed in claim 2, wherein thebody is solid and the at least one coupling member comprises onecoupling member centrally mounted inside the body.
 7. The toy block asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the body is trapezoidal.
 8. The toy block asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the body is trapezoidal.
 9. The toy block asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the body is a cube.
 10. The toy block asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the body is a cube.
 11. A toy block setcomprising multiple toy blocks and formed by the multiple toy blocks,wherein each toy block takes the form of a hexahedron and comprises: abody having six surfaces; six track surfaces formed on the six surfacesof the body, each track surface having multiple edges; at least one slotformed on each of at least one of the six track surfaces, each slothaving multiple connection ends respectively extending and connecting todifferent edges of the track surface with the slot thereon; and at leastone coupling member mounted inside the body, each of the at least onecoupling member being a magnet; wherein the multiple toy blocks aremutually connected and coupled to each other, and the slots on theupward track surfaces of the multiple toy blocks are interconnected tocommunicate with each other.
 12. The toy block set as claimed in claim11, wherein each connection end of each of the at least one slot on acorresponding track surface extends to and is connected with a center ofa corresponding edge of the corresponding track surface.
 13. The toyblock set as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body is hollow internally,and the at least one coupling member comprises eight coupling membersmounted inside the body and respectively located at eight inner cornersof the body.
 14. The toy block set as claimed in claim 12, wherein thebody is hollow internally, and the at least one coupling membercomprises eight coupling members mounted inside the body andrespectively located at eight inner corners of the body.
 15. The toyblock set as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body is solid, and the atleast one coupling member comprises one coupling member centrallymounted inside the body.
 16. The toy block set as claimed in claim 12,wherein the body is solid and the at least one coupling member comprisesone coupling member centrally mounted inside the body.
 17. The toy blockset as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body is trapezoidal.
 18. The toyblock set as claimed in claim 12, wherein the body is trapezoidal. 19.The toy block set as claimed in claim 11, wherein the body is a cube.20. The toy block set as claimed in claim 12, wherein the body is acube.